Fox News host Mark Levin launched a scathing attack Sunday night on Elbridge Colby, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, accusing him of undermining national security with past remarks on Iran’s nuclear program.
Levin’s criticism followed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s claim that Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) was trying to block Colby’s confirmation. Kirk accused Cotton of working “behind the scenes” to derail Trump’s nominee, arguing that Colby was essential in stopping what he called the “Bush/Cheney cabal” at the Department of Defense.
However, several Republican senators have voiced concerns over Colby’s views, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Colby’s past writings are fueling opposition from Senate Armed Services Committee members. In a 2010 Foreign Policy article, Colby argued that “containing a nuclear Iran is an eminently plausible and practical objective.”
Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, confirmed Colby’s nomination was facing resistance.
“There are concerns, there are concerns,” Wicker told Jewish Insider, while Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) acknowledged awareness of Colby’s calls for U.S. retrenchment in the Middle East.
A Republican senator familiar with the situation confirmed that the White House is aware of GOP dissenters within the Armed Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over Colby’s confirmation.
Levin dismissed Kirk’s defense of Colby, taking the side of GOP skeptics.
“Sorry, Charlie. It is the unequivocal position of President Trump and every sane person that Iran must not get nukes,” Levin declared. “If this guy has no problem with it, he’s the problem, not Cotton.”
Sorry Charlie. It is the unequivocal position of President Trump and every sane person that Iran must not get nukes. If this guy has no problem with it, he’s the problem not Cotton. He’s out of sync not Cotton. He’s undermining national security not Cotton. https://t.co/AKTvwypkW1
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 17, 2025
Even Vice President JD Vance weighed in, backing Colby and stating that “Bridge has consistently been correct about the big foreign policy debates of the last 20 years.” But Levin remained unconvinced.
“I’ll dig into this on my radio show tomorrow,” Levin responded, hinting at further scrutiny of Colby’s record. He also shared several articles and a White House fact sheet reinforcing Trump’s hardline stance on Iran.
With Republican senators divided and Levin’s high-profile opposition, Colby’s confirmation is far from certain. His past comments on Iran could prove to be a major hurdle as the Armed Services Committee deliberates on Trump’s Pentagon pick.
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2 Responses
Colby’s positions tend to disregard the extent that China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are allied. Thus he isn’t all that concerned with Iran and sees minimal problems if Russia conquers Ukraine.
The contrary position supported by DINOs (nationalists of a type that goes back to Truman, but haven’t been a factor the last 30 years) and RINOs (Reagan Republicans), is that the axis must be opposed and the best way to discourage an attack on Taiwan is for the democratic countries to support all those opposed to the new axis, including Ukraine, Israel, and South Korea. The contrary position is based on an analogy to the situation in the 1930s in which the leading western countries (then France and Britain) did nothing to oppose aggression directed against China, Spain, Austria and Ethiopia as well as Czechoslovakia and only responding after the invasion of Poland (whereas an earlier response might have derailed Hitler without a world war).
There is much opposition to “America First” isolationism, and Trump will have to decide to what extent he wants to work with Republicans favoring opposition to the Russa, China et al. axis.
Vance has to back the president. He’s stuck. His personal opinion is shaped by the president. If so many good Republicans aren’t backing the guy, why won’t the president take heed and submit that maybe he’s just not the right guy. Hey, Mr. President, if your backers don’t agree with you,, maybe listen to them; IF YOU CAN